Wednesday, July 20, 2011

DEF LEPPARD: "Mirrorball"

So Def Leppard are back, sort of. “Mirrorball” is essentially a live album, in fairness their first, with a DVD and a few new songs tacked on to give added incentive for buyers, hence the tag “Live & More”. Anyone expecting something groundbreaking will be disappointed, but as far as doing what it says on the tin, “Mirrorball” is a real treat.

Recorded all over the place during the last tour, the album gives us 24 live tracks, unsurprisingly taking the Greatest Hits route for the most part, although fans will enjoy hearing “Switch 625”. The sound is unsurprisingly superb, and when you crank it up it really is like the band are playing in your living room. It’s good to hear “C’mon C’mon” and “Bad Actress” from their most recent and very good “Songs From the Sparkle Lounge” album along with the old classics, and it’s hard to fault the tracklisting, which understandably appeals to the average fan rather than the rabid one. The three new tracks are interesting, and kick off with a neat guitar driven stomper “Undefeated”, a track that could fit nicely on any number of their albums and remain a favourite. This is followed by “Kings Of The World”, an unashamed attempt at Queen that mostly fails because it’s too much like Queen to be taken seriously as anything but plagiarism. Pretty much a waste of 6 minutes, it’s sure to have Freddie spinning in his grave at the audacity. Final Track “It’s All About Believing” treads the middle ground between the two and does it well, a catchy, mid paced track very much in the Leppard style.

Another live album? Yes, but at least Def Leppard aren’t one of those bands who release one at the drop of a hat, which makes “Mirrorball” a bit special and worth adding to any fans collection.